CFM21860 - IFRS 9: measurement of financial assets and liabilities

For those entities applying IFRS or FRS 101 with a period of account beginning before 1 January 2018 refer to IAS 39 for the recognition and measurement of financial instruments at CFM21520+

 

Initial measurement

When a financial asset or liability is initially recognised in a company’s financial statements, a company must measure it at its fair value (see CFM21160). In the case of assets and liabilities not in the FVTPL category (see below), this also includes transaction costs (see CFM21630) that are directly attributable to the acquisition or issue of the financial asset.

The fair value of the financial asset at initial recognition is usually the transaction price. Where this is not the case the company shall account for the instrument at initial recognition as follows:

  • At the quoted price on an active market of an identical asset or based on a valuation technique that uses only data from observable markets. The difference to the transaction price is recognised as a gain or loss in the company’s profit or loss account.
  • Where the above information is not available (as no active market or observable data exists) the difference between the fair value and the transaction price is deferred from being recognised in profit or loss until other market participants would take into account the difference when pricing the asset or liability

An exception exists to the above requirements for initial measurement at fair value for trade receivables;

  • that do not contain a significant financing component, which are measured at their transaction price as determined by IFRS 15 (‘Revenue from Contracts with Customers’); or
  • where the company has applied the practical expedient to use transaction price as the customer is expected to settle the receivable within one year.

Where there is a difference between the transaction price and the fair value of a financial instrument on inception, careful consideration will be needed to identify the reason for the difference and how it should be accounted for.

Subsequent measurement

Subsequent measurement of a financial asset and liability depends on how that asset or liability was classified by applying the rules outlined at CFM21840 and CFM21850

  • A financial asset or liability classified as amortised cost shall be subsequently measured using the effective interest method on the gross carrying amount of the asset or liability (see CFM21170). Exceptions to this rule are financial assets that have been purchased or originated credit impaired, where the credit-adjusted effective interest rate is used and financial assets that have become credit impaired, where the effective interest rate is applied to the amortised cost of the asset . All movements are taken through profit or loss.
  • A financial asset or liability classified as fair value through profit or loss (‘FVTPL’) is re-measured at fair value (CFM21160) at the end of each period with differences taken through profit or loss. Fair value movements on liabilities due to changes in own credit risk are taken through other comprehensive income.
  • A financial asset classified as fair value through other comprehensive income (‘FVTOCI’) shall be measured using the effective interest rate method with interest income being recognised in profit or loss and is re-measured at fair value (CFM21160) at the end of each period with any differences taken through other comprehensive income.

Irrespective of the classification of a financial asset or financial liability as amortised cost, FVTPL or FVTOCI the following items are always taken through profit or loss:

  • interest;
  • dividends;
  • impairments (covered in more detail at CFM21890); or
  • foreign currency movements (excluding movements on equity instruments classified as FVTOCI as outlined at CFM21840).